Building construction

ABSTRACT

A method of building construction utilizing novel precast, prefabricated concrete components having innovations in component arrangement, tolerance control and connection design which reduce field labor and engineering thereby increasing construction efficiency.

[4 1 July 3,1973

United States Patent [1 1 'ler Bierwel 3,496,692 2/1970 Melcher............................... 52/583 3,593,532 7/1971 52/587 Villaneu........ 52/587 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Grazel.........

2 7 9 n 0 7 6 5 6 9 3 ma ma BM m 6 e N m, hm B0 .R w 0 d 3 0 RM n 0 t n 8 V n I m 7 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Filed:

Apr. 3, 1972 Appl. No.: 240,434

Primary Examiner-John E. Murtagh Attorney-Rowland V. Patrick v Ha T .mm C mo A u R Um T m S 0H m en 0 m c d e U w i M d 2 l 7 mm "DAG 74 7 8mw8 M15 5%6 0 2 E 1 m r a "C s m mm e .mF N 55 [56] References Cited vations in component arrangement, tolerance control UNITED STATES PATENTS and connection design which reduce field labor and engineering thereby increasing construction efficiency.

2,969,619 I 52/601 3,238,732 3/l966 'Aas-Jakobsen.......................52/601 3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures swims FIG FIG 2 SHEEIJU3 FIG 5 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION This invention relates to building construction and more particularly to multi-layer precast concrete unit construction and to a method of erecting buildings utilizing such units.

The primary object of this invention is to provide precast concrete components that can be assembled with such accuracy and tolerance as to assure that acceptable horizontal alignment of the structure is maintained during and after erection without field supervision.

To this end this invention provides connections between vertically stacked components for transmission of horizontal shears from one vertical component to the corresponding vertical component below.

The invention in all forms uses the same connections for the transmission of vertical loads on a temporary basis down to that part of the structure where such transmission of load is handled by other permanent means (such as grout or elastomeric filler) or for the permanent transmission of vertical loads where no other means of vertical load transmission is deemed necessary.

The invention in the preferred form incorporates flat horizontal bearing plates on the top and bottom of vertical precast concrete components located with such accuracy and tolerance with respect to vertical spacing within a particular component and to flatness as to assure that acceptable vertical alignment (levelness and height) of the structure is maintained during and after erection without use of leveling shims or field supervision.

Simple means for handling the precast concrete components in the manufacturing plant and field are also provided.

By the use of monolithically cast boxes with associated slabs and walls lateral support is given during construction facilitating erection in that no guying or other temporary forms of support are required.

These objects and advantages in addition to others will become apparent from the following description used in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a portion of a building constructed in accordance with'the invention;

FIG. 2 is a first floor plan of the structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view, not to scale, of a bearing plate framework which forms part of the units of this invention;

FIG. 4 is an isometric diagrammatic view of an empty concrete mold form having positioned therein three of the frameworks shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the unit with three bearing plate frameworks cast in concrete in the mold shown in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is an elevational view indicating how one of the cast concrete units is lowered by crane hooks onto an identical underlying unit.

FIG. 1 shows typical components of a building constructed in accordance with this invention. Infill slabs 101 and corridor slabs 105 are set down on foundation walls. This is followed by the placement of typical boxes 100 and single corridor walls 103.

Infill walls 104 run between and parallel to two boxes. This is supported laterally by first installing a double corridor wall 102. Finally a stair box 107 and elevator box 106 may also be included. Additional stories are added by putting similar components on top of those below (i.e. boxes on boxes) until the top of the .building is reached. While FIG. 1 shows a portion of a long building with rooms off either side of a central corridor and a stair well at the end, this invention covers the use of these components in any of many floor plans that may be generated with their use. In addition, the above description is only to introduce the components and is not meant to indicate that only one erection sequence is possible.

A typical box has a floor 108 and three walls 109. Notches 113 allow the box walls to line up and yet provide for bearing of adjacent slab components. Doorways 114 may be placed where required both in the boxes and in the walls.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a framework 116 which includes a top plate 118 and a bottom plate 119 which are held apart a correct distance by rods 120 so that when vertical precast components are stacked a constant story height will be maintained. The plates 118 and 119 have aligned holes 121, 122 and socket forming assemblies 123 are suspended beneath each hole 121.

As shown in FIG. 4 three of these framework structures 116 are precisely located in a U-shaped concrete form 117 prior to pouring the concrete and when the concrete is poured it is poured up so that the top plates 1 18 of the frameworks will be flush with the top surface of the poured concrete, as shown in FIG. 5. During pouring a can 124 is placed over each bottom hole 122 so that when, as shown in FIG. 6, one unit has been placed at the building site in vertical position, its top plates may be provided with pintles 125 held in sockets 123 which extend through plate holes 121 into the holes on the overlying unit thus giving a horizontal alignment when an overlying unit is brought down on top of the underlying previously positioned box as by crane hooks 125a engaging eyes 126 temporarily positioned in the screw-threaded socket assemblies 123.

An elastomeric pad 127 may if desired be positioned between the plates on vertically adjacent units so that if it is desired that the metal frameworks not carry all the vertical load, it may be distributed to the adjacent concrete through interposed grout and resilient pads will allow for shrinkage of the grout.

A plumbing chase opening, electrical conduits and outlet boxes may be cast into one or more of the walls of the box 100.

What is claimed is:

1. A building component comprising an integrally cast concrete unit having a floor panel, parallel upstanding walls and a third upstanding wall connecting the ends of said parallel walls,

said unit having on its upper wall and lower floor surfaces at least three pairs of metal bearing plates embedded in said concrete and held in parallel precise vertically aligned spaced relation by vertically extending solid connecting rods, whereby regardless of dimensional discrepancies in the remaining surfaces of the unit, said plates act when an equal number of said units are stacked on one another in two separate columns to position said units so that their heights at the upper surface of the topmost bearing plates will be equal.

2. A building component as claimed in claim 1 having three of said plate pairs to provide tripodal support for each unit as it is stacked on an underlying unit.

3. A building component as claimed in claim 1 having in addition means for guiding the units in each column into precise horizontal alignment as they are stacked. t t I! [UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CQRRECTION Patent No. 307420660 Dated y r 1973 Inven or BIERWEILER) ROBERT A.

It is certifiedwhet error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below: 7

On the cover sheet, insert [73] As signee New England Concrete Pipe Corporation, New Upper Falls,

Mass. a corporation of Mass.

Signed and sealed this 25th day vof December; 1973 (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M. FLETCHER ,JR RENE D. TEGTMEYER Attesting Officer Acting Commissioner of Patents FORM 130-1050 (19-69) 

1. A building component comprising an integrally cast concrete unit having a floor panel, parallel upstanding walls and a third upstanding wall connecting the ends of said parallel walls, said unit having on its upper wall and lower floor surfaces at least three pairs of metal bearing plates embedded in said concrete and held in parallel precise vertically aligned spaced relation by vertically extending solid connecting rods, whereby regardless of dimensional discrepancies in the remaining surfaces of the unit, said plates act when an equal number of said units are stacked on one another in two separate columns to position said units so that their heights at the upper surface of the topmost bearing plates will be equal.
 2. A building component as claimed in claim 1 having three of said plate pairs to provide tripodal support for each unit as it is stacked on an underlying unit.
 3. A building component as claimed in claim 1 having in addition means for guiding the units in each column into precise horizontal alignment as they are stacked. 